The present invention relates to electric energy meters, and particularly electronic electric energy meters and the construction of such meters.
With the use of electronics in electric energy meters, including microprocessors and digital signal processing, the capabilities and potential for increased features, output information, and built-in testing has been greatly expanded. It is possible to offer and meet customer requirements for a large number of optional features and functions including self-check test functions, demand metering with versatility in setting and displaying demand periods, and other functions and modes of operation. However, with such increased versatility comes greatly increased problems of manufacturing, stocking and repairing a large number of different energy meters. In addition, meters must be capable of meeting customer requirements as to voltage rating, class (or current rating), and form. The form is typically an application description according to an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard such as C12.10-1978.
The result is literally hundreds of potentially different meters each differing in combinations of features and attributes. This has led to considerable concern and interest in simplifying the manufacture of electric energy meters, which, would decrease the cost of manufacture and assembly, minimize the number of parts required and thus lower the cost and problems associated with stocking spare parts and providing repairs. At the same time it is necessary to provide a versatile energy meter construction which can readily be differently configured to meet a large variety of customer requirements. In order to maximize the use of mass production techniques and minimize the amount of manpower required for such customized energy meters, the need exists for improved energy meter designs and construction arrangements which meet the above objectives, while at the same time providing a basic energy meter design which may be manufactured and stocked, and subsequently readily customized to meet a large number of specific customer requirements.